Sunderland driver oblivious to the fact she was banned from the roads is caught by police

Harpreet Badesha, 37, only learnt of her disqualification when police pulled her over as she drove a black Audi on Bonemill Lane, Fatfield, Washington.

Badesha, of St Pauls Drive, was banned on Tuesday, April 9 last year under the totting up of points process, magistrates in South Tyneside heard.

But on Wednesday, September 25, she was spotted by traffic patrol officers as she drove on the A183 Chester Road in Sunderland.

Prosecutor Clare Irving said they followed her, with onboard checks showing Badesha’s car was not insured, leading to her being pulled over, prosecutor Clare Irving said.

She added: “This defendant was banned for two years under totting last year.

“An officer activated his blues lights and stopped the vehicle as it was being driven in Bonemill Lane in Washington.

“The defendant got out of the vehicle, and it was established that she didn’t have valid insurance.

“She was also found to be driving while disqualified. She was cautioned and arrested but not interviewed.

“She was hitherto a woman of good character. The case is one of lower culpability and lesser harm.

“It’s a ban of between three and six months or six penalty points.”

Badesha pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to surrender to custody on Monday, March 24.

Alastair Naismith, defending, said: “She didn’t know that she was disqualified, she was only told of that when she was stopped.

“She pleads guilty today but it’s with the background that she didn’t know of the disqualification.

“She had insurance but that was invalidated because she was disqualified.

“I’d ask you to deal with this by way of a financial penalty. There are no criminogenic needs.

“She remains disqualified until April 2026. You may feel you can endorse her licence with six penalty points.

“They would still be on her licence when she gets her licence back.”

Magistrates handed Badesha six penalty points and fined her £135, with £85 court costs and a £54 victim surcharge.

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